Reductil, which is produced by Abbott Laboratories, is linked to the deaths of up to 34 people worldwide, including patients who took the drug during clinical trials before it was launched on the market in 1997.

Local drug administrators contacted by Shanghai Daily yesterday said they are waiting to see what actions European and US authorities take before making any decisions on the drug's future in China.

"So far there have been no adverse reports from local customers," said Doctor Xu Jianlong of the Shanghai Adverse Drug Reaction Inspection Center. But he warned that Reductil should be taken under a doctor's supervision, as it can have several side effects.

Though it is a prescription drug, Reductil is still available over the counter without a prescription in China.

Local pharmacies say sales of Reductil, which was introduced to China in February last year, have not been affected by the ban in Italy, although sales aren't very high for the drug which costs 288 yuan (US$35) for 14 capsules.

One reason sales haven't been hurt is that most Shanghai consumers are still unaware of the Italian ban, which has so far received scant attention from local media outlets.

Italy suspended sales of three products with the drug's active ingredient, sibutramine, last week after two Italian patients using the products died. Two UK residents have also died after taking the medication and 210 others have reported side effects, according to Bloomberg News.

However, since many of the drug's users are obese and tend to have other health problems, it's not certain that the reactions can be linked to the drug, investigators said. Most of the deaths so far are related to hypertension and cardiac failure.

Eugene Sun, vice president of global pharmaceutical development at Abbott, said there's no evidence that sibutramine-based products caused the deaths, though the company is working with government agencies, including the US Food and Drug Administration, to monitor the drug's effects.

Bloomberg said patients in the US are told to continue taking the drug, though they should speak to their doctors if they don't feel well.

Sibutramine has been used by more than 8.5 million people worldwide since its introduction, according to Abbott. It helps patients lose weight by affecting a brain chemical called serotonin, similar in action to widely prescribed antidepressants like Prozac.

Abbott's local officials yesterday declined to say how many Reductil capsules have been sold in Shanghai.

But sales of Qumei, a popular diet supplement using the same ingredient as Reductil, is selling very well in the city, according to local pharmacists. At a drug store on Huaihai Road, a salesperson said they sell at least three packages a day.

Officials from Chongqing Taiji Group, the manufacturer of Qumei, said sibutramine should be considered effective and safe but does occasionally cause some "not serious" side effects during the first few days of use, including persistent thirst, constipation and nausea.

(eastday.com March 20, 2002)